Page 79 of 375

µYou can insert or
remove the key only in this position.
To switch f rom ACCESSORY to
LOCK, you must push the key in
slightly as you turn it. If your car has
an automatic transmission, the shif t
lever must also be in Park. The anti-
thef t lock will lock the steering
column when you remove the key.
If the f ront wheels are turned, the
anti-thef t lock may sometimes make
it difficult to turn the key from
LOCK to ACCESSORY. Firmly turn
the steering wheel to the lef t or to
the right as you turn the key.
The ignition switch is on the right
side of the steering column. It has
f our positions:
LOCK(0)
ACCESSORY (I)
ON (II)
START (III)As required by the FCC:
This device complies with Part 15 of theFCC rules. Operation is subject to thef ollowing two conditions: (1) This devicemay not cause harmf ul interf erence, and(2) this device must accept anyinterf erence received, includinginterf erence that may cause undesiredoperation.
Changes or modif ications not expresslyapproved by the party responsible f orcompliance could void the user’sauthority to operate the equipment.
This device complies with IndustryCanada Standard RSS-210.Operation is subject to the f ollowing twoconditions: (1) this device may not causeinterf erence, and (2) this device mustaccept any interf erence that may causeundesired operation of the device.
Keys and Locks
Inst rument s and Cont rols
LOCK (0)
Ignition Switch
76
Page 185 of 375

Push on the accelerator pedal. Ac-
celerate to the desired cruising
speed and press the SET/decel
button. To increase your speed in very
small amounts, tap the RESUME/
accel button repeatedly. Each time
you do this, your car will speed up
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
You can increase the set cruising
speed in any of these ways:
Press and hold the RESUME/
accel button. The car will acceler-
ate. When you reach the desired
cruising speed, release the button.
Thecruisecontrolmaynotholdthe
set speed when you are going up and
down hills. If your speed increases
going down a hill, use the brakes to
slow down to the desired speed. This
will cancel the cruise control. To
resume the set speed, press the
RESUME/accel button. The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on.
When climbing a steep hill, the
automatic transmission may
downshif t to hold the set speed.
Press and release the SET/decel
buttononthesteeringwheel.The
CRUISE CONTROL light on the
instrument panel comes on to
show the system is now activated.
3.
Changing t he Set Speed
Cruise Control
Comf ort and Convenience Feat ures182
R RE
ES
SU UM M E
E/
/a
ac ccceel l
C
CAA N
NC CEEL
L
S
SE ET
T/
/d
d e
ecceel l
Page 208 of 375

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
5-speed manual and automatic
transmissions. It also includes
important inf ormation on parking
your car, the braking system, the
Traction Control System, and facts
you need if you are planning to tow a
trailer.........................
Preparing to Drive .206
.......................
Starting the Engine .207
Starting in Cold Weather ....................
at High Altitude .208
....
5-speed Manual Transmission . 209
.....
Recommended Shif t Points . 210
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 210
..............
Automatic Transmission . 210
.
Shif t Lever Position Indicator . 211
................
Shif t Lever Positions . 211
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 214
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 214
...........................................
Parking .216
.....................
The Braking System .217
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 217
...............
Brake System Design . 218
.......................
Anti-lock Brakes .218
Important Saf ety .........................
Reminders .219
........................
ABS Indicator .219
..............
Traction Control System . 220
...............
Driving in Bad Weather . 223
...........................
Towing a Trailer .225
Driving
Driving205
Page 210 of 375

Push the clutch pedal down all the
way. START (III) does not
f unction unless the clutch pedal is
depressed. Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.If the engine still does not start,
press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while
starting in order to clear f looding.
As bef ore, keep the ignition key in
the START (III) position f or no
more than 15 seconds. Return to
step 5 if the engine does not start.
If it starts, lif t your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal so the engine
does not race.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. If the engine
does not start right away, do not
hold the key in START (III) f or
more than 15 seconds at a time.
Pause f or at least 10 seconds
bef ore trying again.
If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed half-way
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.6.
Automatic Transmission:
Manual Transmission:
Starting the Engine
Driving207
Page 212 of 375

Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shif t into
Reverse with the car moving. Push
down the clutch pedal, and pause f or
a f ew seconds bef ore shif ting into
Reverse, or shif t into one of the
f orward gears f or a moment. This
stops the gears so they won’t ‘‘grind.’’
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking f rom the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure engine speed will not go
into the tachometer’s red zone in the
lower gear.
The manual transmission is syn-
chronizedinallforwardgearsfor
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from Fifth
to Reverse. When shif ting up or
down,makesureyoupushtheclutch
pedal down all the way, shift to the
next gear, and let the pedal up
gradually. When you are not shif ting,
do not rest your f oot on the clutch
pedal. This can cause your clutch to
wear out faster.
Driving
5-speed Manual T ransmission
209
Rapid slowing or speeding-up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.
Page 213 of 375

Your Honda’s transmission has f our
f orward speeds, and is electronically
controlled f or smoother shif ting. It
also has a ‘‘lock-up’’ torque converter
forbetterfueleconomy.Youmay
f eel what seems like another shif t
when the converter locks.
Drive in the highest gear that lets
the engine run and accelerate
smoothly. This will give you the best
f uel economy and ef f ective emis-
sions control. The f ollowing shif t
points are recommended:
If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.
Bef ore downshif ting, make sure the
engine will not go into the
tachometer’s red zone.
Shif t up
1st to 2nd
2nd to 3rd 3rd to 4th4th to 5th Normal acceleration
15 mph (24 km/h)
28 mph (45 km/h)
41 mph (66 km/h)
52 mph (84 km/h)
Shif t up
1st to 2nd
2nd to 3rd 3rd to 4th4th to 5th Cruise acceleration
7mph(11km/h)
22 mph (35 km/h)
33 mph (53 km/h)
48 mph (77 km/h)
5-speed Manual T ransmission, A ut omat ic T ransmission
Driving
Automatic Transmission
Recommended Shif t Points Engine Speed L imiter
210
Page 214 of 375
CONT INUED
The shift lever has seven positions.
It must be in Park or Neutral to start
the engine. When you are stopped in
D,D,2,1,NorR,pressfirmlyon
the brake pedal, and keep your f oot
of f the accelerator pedal.
This indicator between the f uel
gauge and temperature gauge shows
which position the shif t lever is in. The ‘‘D ’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II). If it f lashes
while driving (in any shif t position),
it indicates a possible problem in the
transmission. Avoid rapid acceler-
ation and have the transmission
checkedbyanauthorizedHonda
dealer as soon as possible.
43
4
Driving
Automatic Transmission
Shif t L ever Position Indicator
Shif t L ever Positions
211
S SHH I
IFFT T L
LEE V
V E
ER
R
R
RE EL
LEE A
A S
SEE B
BUUT TT
TO
ON N
Page 215 of 375

µ
µ
To shif t to Reverse
f rom Park, see the explanation under
Park. To shif t to Reverse f rom
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift. Press the release button
bef ore shif ting into Reverse f rom
Neutral.
This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Press the release
button on the side of the shift lever
to move it.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shif t Lock Release on page .
You must also press the release
button to shift into Park. To avoid
transmission damage, come to a
complete stop bef ore shif ting into
Park. The shif t lever must be in Park
bef ore you can remove the key f rom
the ignition switch. 214
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoP
NtoR
Dto2 2to1
1to2
2toD
DtoD DtoN
DtoD NtoD RtoN Do this:
Press the brake pedal and
press the release button.
Press the release button.
Move the lever.
3
3
34 4
43 4
Driving
Automatic Transmission
Reverse (R)
Park (P)
212